Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, independent or something else, whether you love Obamacare or think it will be the death of our country, if you have a work related injury and need medical care, the law treats you the same.
And by that, I mean that Obamacare will mean virtually nothing to your work comp case. That’s because your medical treatment shouldn’t be put through your group insurance carrier. And if you have no insurance at all it shouldn’t matter either.
100% of your reasonable and related medical bills should be covered by the work comp insurance company your employer paid for. That means no co-pays, no out of pocket expenses, nothing at all. In other words, if you fall off a ladder and break your leg, anything related to that accident should be taken care of at no cost to you and you get to focus on your health.
On the other hand, if your appendix ruptures, that would be covered by your normal insurance if you have it.
If you are made a part time worker because of Obamacare, the only effect on your case would be the chance in your average weekly wage which is used to calculate your benefits.
It’s important that if you do have health insurance that you don’t let them pay for bills related to a work injury. If they do that in error, they could sue you to reimburse them or refuse to pay for future medical treatment that you or a family member needs until they have been reimbursed. So you could blow out your back on the job, but if your group insurance pays for your care, if your child needs to see a doctor you’ll have to pay for that out of pocket.
Overall, getting medical treatment for job injuries and accidents isn’t difficult in Illinois and having your own insurance is pretty much meaningless. The most important thing is that if you are hurt that you see a doctor and focus on your health. Delaying medical care can not only ruin your ability to win a case, it can make a minor problem become much more serious.
We are workers’ compensation attorneys who help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact us and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
